U.S. Condemns Iran Over Weapons Ship

Iran's attempt to send weapons to Gaza is a violation of a UN Security Council resolution, says White House spokesman Jay Carney.

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Elad Benari, 11/03/14 01:42

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IDF Spokesman

The White House on Monday condemned Iran over the weapons ship it sent to Gaza and which was intercepted by Israel in the Red Sea.

"We were very clear about our views on the ship that was interdicted and the fact that we condemn in the strongest terms Iran's efforts to supply terrorist organizations operating in the region with weaponry," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

“The shipment of advanced weapons was believed to be bound for militant groups in Gaza, and posed a direct threat to the security of Israel,” he said.

"We, the United States, strongly condemn this violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929,” Carney declared.

"It is important to make clear that even as we continue efforts to resolve our concerns over Iran's nuclear program through diplomacy, we will continue, in coordination with our partners and allies, to push back against Iranian support for terrorism, threats against our friends and partners, and violations of human rights," he pointed out.

Carney further stressed that despite the ongoing nuclear talks with Iran, “we are not holding back at all in the steps we take and the views we hold about Iran's continued support for terrorist organizations.”

The comments came after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu slammed the world’s hypocrisy, citing the international community’s downplaying the IDF’s discovery of the weapons.

"We are revealing the truth behind the deceiving smiles of Iran, to expose the delusion that Iran is changing direction," he said, as the weapons were displayed to journalists from Israel and the world.

Netanyahu noted that the international community's decision to downplay the IDF's find is "evidence of the era of hypocrisy in which we are living."

"The international community wants to ignore Iran's ongoing aggression and its part in the execution of the massacre in Syria," the Prime Minister fired. "They want to delude themselves that Iran has abandoned its intention to obtain nuclear weapons."

The IDF conducted the raid in the Red Sea Wednesday, between the waters of Sudan and Eritrea. The ship, which flew a Panamanian flag, carried weapons which were made in Syria under Iran’s directives and were being taken to Sudan. From there, they would be then taken to the Sinai Peninsula and smuggled to Gaza through the underground tunnels.